Don't be Shy - INTRODUCE YOURSELF HERE

G'Day - my name is Sean E. Keener...and on the suggestion of LiveNomadic we are starting a new member thread. So even though I am not a new member, I will start (anyone can post to this thread, newbies and oldies alike - let's keep it to one post per person though ie no back and forth stuff)

I got addicted to travel when I was younger and then started this site for shits and giggles with my friend chris . Nick joined us shortly thereafter.

I love not having a schedule and just "doing whatever the fuck I want" (that is a saying that Nick used to say when we first started) - but the reality of life is not doing that all the time. Sometimes for sure. But that part of travel feels free and the best.

I used to only like chucking on my backpack and and wandering on my own without other westerners for months at a time. I still enjoy that type of travel, but I do like hanging with friends and strangers from anywhere at anytime. I thoroughly enjoy putting myself in situation that I am not used to and stretching my comfort zone.

BTW, I would love to meet up with folks in Portland, OR or wherever our paths might cross. Follow the BootBlog for our travels and I'll shout the first round.

Currently, I am an undergraduate at the University of Miami taking three majors (politcal science, international relation, religious studies).

I also run ServeYourWorld.com and am working with a professor to develop a humanitarian aid related site.

All this really doesn't leave me too much time during 8 months of the year, but for 4 beautiful months I have nothing to do but write, travel, and spend time with my fiance.

In the winter I'm doing a 5 week internship with the bootsnall folks, thats the reason for the pic.

Travel is a childhood love that got buried sometime in my teenage years, but now it's coming back with a revenge. I am leaving in 24 hours for my first long term trip without relatives or guidance, which is daunting, but it is more daunting because it is my fiance's first trip outside the US! Suddenly I'm the travel expert when I feel like the eager amatuer.

my name is Gordon Candelin and I'm currently living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia working as an art director for an ad agency, and running the student travel site Urbanlowdown.com. I've been in Asia for almost 2 years now, after an initial 8 years living in europe followed by an agonizing 5 back in Los Angeles - my hometown.

For me, travel has always been about full-on immersion - diving in, working shitty jobs because you can't speak the language, figuring out how to rent an apartment, how to pay an electric bill, which side of the street you shouldn't ride your bike on (doesn't matter unless you happen to be in Germany), how not to kiss the hand of a polish countess (you don't actually press your lips against it, and you certaintly don't make a big smacking sound), and all of the other pleasures of finding yourself way in over your head.

I have been down with the Bootsnall massive since almost Day 1. During that time I have written about my experiences in Japan, Brazil and various other parts of the world. I especially enjoy it when people write to me and complain about my writing.

For me one of the nicest things about Bootsnall is that I have met so many cool people. I have road-tripped with Sean, Jessie, Jen Leo and had some awesome meals with Joe E (all in the US), got unbelievably wasted with Bootsnall members all over South America, went Temple Bashing with Bootsnall folk in Japan and have even been known to sink a few pints with the UK folk too. Oh, and who could forget my prancing with Courtâ€¦...

I am proud to say that in 17 years of travel I have only ever spent two nights in a hostel (and one of those was for a conference where we had the whole place to ourselves) and would rather chop off a limb than spend another night in one. I am also the proud owner of a rolling suitcase, which at my age, is essential.

Because travel is such a good education I have recently set up a trust-fund for my son so that when he comes of age he can travel. I have stipulated that he can use this money for travel to anywhere he likes as long as he doesnâ€™t stay in hostels. I am a great parentâ€¦

When not travelling I am a passionate Liverpool supporter and live in the Peopleâ€™s Republic of Paxton. I really want to go to Greenland this year and still hate Air Portugal,

Hello, my name is Marisa. I was born in Thailand, but moved to the states when I was a wee 3 months old. I've lived in Texas all my life, but defy the stereotypes of southerner and cowgirl.

My parents never took me anywhere fun, travelwise. I was not exposed to anything other than Texas and Louisiana (many roadtrips to Dallas, Beumont, Lake Charles..boring places!). I first got interested in travelling when I was in high school. Some of the kids in my Spanish classes were going to Costa Rica. Of course, my parents, being strict as hell, forbid me from going. Then I wanted to do volunteer work in Brasil..of course, banned from doing that as well!

In college, I finally got a taste of world travel when I studied abroad in Australia. I went to Japan on the way down since my friend was studying abroad there. Since then, I've been addicted to travelling. I wish I could do more but I'm restricted by funds and the fact that I've got 3 dogs to take care of here.

I love bootsnall because it lets me live vicariously through others when I can't travel.

Hi my name is Stephanie. I am 25 was born in Indiana and live in Missouri. I work finance for the region office of a large snack food company. I am very involved in the GLBT community here in St. Louis and through work I am involved in our GLBT Diversity group to educate and advance the GLBT community as a whole. This and travelling are my passions which I hope to mesh soon.

Travel has become a focus for me the past year. I have always enjoyed travel but now it is all I think about. I knew pretty much nothing about travelling (except that I wanted to backpack) until being directed to bootsnall. The only travelling that I have been able to do has been within the US. My family never had the time or money for travel when I was younger so I am hoping to make up for lost time. When I first joined bootsnall I was ready to jump into a long-term trip but the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, about my own country before going to another. So I have made plans the travel the US for the next 2 years or so when I can and then once I have done that move on to the long-term travel.

I really enjoy bootsnall banter and discussion. I can't wait for the opportunity to meet (in person) some of the people here.

Hi,My name is Meghan Wilson, and I was born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Colorado (Snowmass Village, to be exact), where I got my first taste for traveling as a young ambassador to our sister city in Japan. I was 12 years old, and did a homestay for three weeks. What an amazing way to be introduced to a different culture at such a young age. Since then I've been on school and family trips to England, Scotland, Spain, and Costa Rica.

I graduated a year ago from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and still find myself floundering with what to do with my education (BA in Sociology--no interest in going into the field). In the meantime, I'm working as an overpaid and fancily titled secretary for a division of the university. It allowed me to save up enough to jet off to Europe this fall for ten weeks. It's my first solo trip, and I'm a little nervous, but also thrilled to death. A coworker turned me on to BootsNAll when I told him I was going, and I am forever grateful to him for that. What a great information resource, sounding board, and support group all rolled into one! Thanks to everyone for all the helpful tips and insight. I hope to meet some of you someday.

Hello, My name is Becky. I am 22 years old and have lived my whole life in Minnesota. I am now attending the University of Wisonsin -Eau Claire with a major in Biology and Sociology. I will be graudating next December. I don't know exactly what I will do with my degree yet, but I am considering graduate school to become a professor or get my masters for nursing.

My favorite things to do are outdoor activities, boating, sports, traveling and shopping.

When I was a kid my family didn't travel that much unless you consider a vacation travleing north to North Dakota to visit relatives. We spent most of our vacations on the Mississippi river boating and camping on beaches...now those are good childhood memories. I got to do my fair share of travel in high school through Marching Band and church activities but I really got my feet wet when I decided to study abroad in Ireland in college. After that it was backpacking europe. That is definately when travel changed my life. Now it has become an addiction to see places all over the world and since have gotten the opportunity to take classes in the Rockey Mountains and Bahamas. This summer my sister and I have planned our 2nd backpacking trip in Europe as a graduation present for her.

I love bootnall because it enables people from all over the globe to bring unique perspectives in on a common subject...and you get to learn about new places, and meet new friends.

Cheers everyone-My name is Courtney Sullivan Ries. The middle name is very important to my mother, as it is her madien name, and all of my correspondence from her is addressed as such. However, you all know me by my nickname, Court.

While I was growing up, most of my travel centered around where my extended family was: Boston, So Cal, and Indiana. I first went overseas my freshman year of college, to visit a friend studying in France. It was one of the most liberating experiences of my life and, like everyone else, I was hooked.

After studying abroad in Australia, I graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago last June. I had graduated a year early and was planning on entering the Broadcasting Journalism Master's program but I decided to go RTW instead, and met up with two BNA members in London along the way.

I landed this BNA gig a few months after I got home and moved out to Portland in January.

When I'm not updating Australia Guide, the Women's Section or writing various other things, you can usually find me on the boards, competing with LN for the title of biggest procrastinator of real work.

After work, you can usually find me drinking wine when everyone else is drinking beer, eating my way through new cities or planning my next trip to Eastern Europe/Central Asia.

I'm Kevin Duffy. I currently live and work in New Jersey. Right nowI am a case manager for World Trade Center victims (and with less to do each passing day, i find myself playing on the internet more and more). Before that i graduated from the University of Maryland and have worked in Washington DC as a lobbyist. I'm a crazy liberal who wasted lots of potential travelling money on Howard Dean the Screamer.

I've never lived overseas, but decided that i want to try after trips in the Caribbean, Costa Rica and to London.

A unique story about me - i quit my last job (lobbying) to fly across country (San Diego), pick up a car there, drive to pick up a friend(South Dakota) and proceed to drive across country stealing from casinos in a slot machine scam.

In October I am moving to Spain to teach English as a second language. Starting in 2006, a friend and i are planning a RTW trip with the early itinerary looking like Spain, Amsterdam, Base Camp at Everest, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand and hopefully closing it out by checking out the Northern Lights in Alaska / Canada.

"It's a Lifestyle" - me

"I have very little time to get to the gym, so I have to sculpt my guns at the office."

My name is Emma. I was born in London but moved out to Indonesia with my parents when I was a tiny three weeks old. I lived there, Thailand and Vietnam until I was 18 at which point I came back to England to go to univiersity. 4 years later and I'm nearly done (16 days and counting till the final final exam!) and will be travelling off hopefully to India, and definitely back home to South East Asia for 6 months as soon as I graduate.

I've got 6 months off before I have to come back to London to do the proper job that some nice people have given me...but I"m sure I'll be plotting lots of other ways to get back out travelling, with lots of bootsnall help of course!

Hi, I'm Mimi. I am pretty new here, but every day I learn more groovy stuff and become more and more jealous of all the RTWers who are seeing the whole world whilst I content myself with short vacation trips.

Let's see...my life goal is to join the Traveler's Century Club. I have 89-ish countries to go, though, so I better get moving!

In the meantime, I'm an unpublished writer trying to think of a good way to put all my travel experiences thus far into a book. And trying to come up with a feasible way to live off writing and traveling.

What else is there to say? I don't know. I'm on my way to London for my first non-weekend trip. Sigh, just in time to wish I was in Hay-on-Wye for the Hay Festival! Ooh, but maybe...

Traveling bookless is like Sartre's hell.

______________________________I'm not at my best when I moralize or philosophize. Logic is elusive, especially to one who so rarely uses it.--Tallulah Bankhead

Aloha All,My name is Crow Duran and I have been living and working in Honolulu, Hawaii for the last 18 years. I just quit my job, and have a travel jones that is screaming for attention. I just don't know where the hell to go. At this point I plan to aimlessly wander the planet to see what I can shake loose. This will be my first solo wandering and I would appreciate any input you experienced travelers have to throw my way. Much Mahalos.

Hi, my name is Molly and I guess you could say I travel for a living, I'm a flight attendant. I've been doing this for 12 years. 2 airlines, and 2 continents later... I've been living in Hong Kong for 8 years (just got my permanent ID card!!) London before that, San Francisco before that, Burlington, Vt. before that, Mcdonald PA before that, and before that, Bellevue Washington where I was born and raised.

I learned at an early age that I was better at languages than math, so in junior high I started with Spanish and lived in Mexico for 3 months as an exchange student when I was 13. My senior year of high school was spent in Baden Baden, Germany as an exchange student and it pretty much took off from there. Armed with a degree in German Language and Literature I got a job with an airline and flew the "German Line" mainly to Frankfurt, but also to Munich. Now in HK, I am reduced to watching DW TV by myself as my husband doesn't speak German. My Spanish is still OK; last week there was a little boy and his sister on the flight (Chinese family from Peru) who spoke only Spanish. He insisted on following me around when he found out I spoke a bit and wasn't fazed one bit when I couldn't come up with a word or didn't quite understand him!

I'm also trying to join the Travellers Century Club, (48 more countries to go!) beacuse I want to go everywhere. My husband is beginning to regret signing up for the travel channel!

There is such a diverse group of people on here, with fantastic travel tales and travel plans!! I like hearing people's plans, it gives me ideas!!

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